English
Among these three takings of dwellings, the former and the latter, these two takings are fixed. But the intermediate release was allowed by the Blessed One for the maintenance of dwellings. Indeed, in one monastery, there is a dwelling with great gain. The owners of the dwelling, having respectfully attended to a bhikkhu who has entered the rains retreat with all requisites, and having invited him to make the Pavāraṇā, give many monastic requisites at the time of his departure. Great elders, coming from afar, take it on the day of entering the rains retreat, dwell comfortably, and having completed the rains, take the gain and depart. The resident bhikkhus say, "We do not receive the gain produced here; always the visiting great elders receive it. They alone will come and maintain it." And they do not even look at it when it is decaying. The Blessed One, for its maintenance, said, "The intermediate release should be taken on the day before the Pavāraṇā for the purpose of the future rains retreat." One who takes it should address the Saṅgha's elder, "Venerable sir, take the intermediate release dwelling." If he takes it, it should be given. If not, by this same method, starting with the next elder, whoever takes it It is given up, to him, even to a novice, it should be given. By him, that dwelling for eight months should be maintained. Whatever is broken or cracked in the roof, walls, or floor, all that should be repaired. Having spent the day with recitation, questioning, and so on, it is proper to dwell there at night. Having dwelt in the precinct at night, it is proper to spend the day there too. It is proper to dwell there day and night always. To the elders who have come in due season, it should not be refused. But when the day of entering the Rains-retreat has arrived, if the elder of the Sangha says, "Please give this dwelling to me," he does not obtain it. "Venerable sir, having taken this temporary dwelling, it has been maintained by one bhikkhu," having said this, it should not be given. It is acquired by that bhikkhu who maintained it for eight months. But in which dwelling they give requisites twice in one year, by six-month requisites, that temporary dwelling should not be taken. Or in which they give three times, by four-month requisites, or in which they give four times, by three-month requisites, that temporary dwelling should not be taken. Indeed, by the requisites themselves, that maintenance will be obtained. But in which, in one year, they give many requisites only once, that temporary dwelling should be taken. 223. "I allow, bhikkhus, to give new work for a dwelling that is unfinished or incomplete; having observed the work in small dwellings, to give new work for five or six years; having observed the work in medium dwellings, to give new work for seven or eight years; having observed the work in large dwellings or palaces, to give new work for ten or twelve years." (Cūḷavagga 323) Therefore, an unfinished or incomplete dwelling, having announced to one bhikkhu by a declaration or by a formal act, should be given for him to dwell, having done new work, according to the aforementioned time limit. The bhikkhu doing new work obtains that residence during the Rains-retreat. It should not be refused during the season. obtains. But a monk who has obtained a new work should not take a chisel, axe, or hoe, etc., and do it himself; he should know what is done and what is not done. If that dwelling decays, it should be told to the owner of the dwelling or to someone born in his lineage: "Your dwelling is perishing, take care of this dwelling." If he cannot, it should be taken care of by monks, or by relatives, or by supporters, by making them undertake it. If even they cannot, it should be taken care of with Sangha property. If even that is not available, one dwelling should be given up, and the remaining ones should be taken care of. It is even permissible to give up many and maintain one. In times of famine, when monks have departed, all dwellings perish. Therefore, by giving up one, or two, or three dwellings, and consuming gruel, rice, robes, etc., from them, the remaining dwellings should indeed be taken care of. But in the Kurundi it is said: "When Sangha property is not available, one monk should be told: 'Take one bed-place of yours and take care of it.' If he desires more, he should be made to take care of it even by giving him a third or a half share. If only a pillar remains there, and he does not wish to do much work, it should be given to him, saying: 'Make it your personal property and take care of it.' Even so, he should be made to take care of it, thinking: 'A place for the Sangha to store goods and a place for new monks to live will be obtained.' But when it is thus taken care of, it is personal as long as he lives; when he dies, it is Sangha property. If he wishes to give it to his pupils, after considering the work, he should be made to take care of it by making a third or a half personal property. Thus, he is able to give it to his pupils. But if there is no such caretaker, it should be made to be taken care of in the manner beginning with 'by giving up one dwelling'." This and another statement are said there. Two monks take Sangha land, clean it, and make a Sangha dwelling. The one who first took that land is the owner. If both make it personal, he is the owner. If he makes it Sangha property, the other makes it personal. If there are many other lodging places, even if he makes it personal, he should not be prevented. But if there is no other such suitable place, it should be done by making it communal, having prevented him from making it personal. Whatever expenditure he has made there, that should be given to him. If, however, in the built dwelling or in the place for building a dwelling, there are trees providing shade or fruit, they should be removed after permission. If they are personal, the owners should be asked. If they do not give, having asked up to three times, saying "we will give the value of the trees," they should be removed. 224. But if someone, without taking even a single creeper from the Sangha's property, builds a personal dwelling on the Sangha's land with materials brought by himself, half is communal, half is personal. If it is a mansion, the lower mansion is communal, the upper is personal. If someone desires the lower mansion, the lower mansion is his. But if he desires both lower and upper, he gets half in both. If he builds two lodgings, one is communal, one is personal. If he builds with materials arising from the dwelling, he gets one-third. If, in an unbuilt place, he makes an accumulation or a porch outside the wall, half is for the Sangha, half is for him. But if it is made by filling a large uneven area and showing a foundation where there was none, the Sangha has no authority there. If a bhikkhu takes rafters and the like from a communal dwelling and attaches them to another communal dwelling, they are well-attached. But for those attaching them to a personal dwelling, the value must be given, or they must be restored to their original state. One who takes beds, chairs, and the like from an abandoned dwelling with a thievish mind should be made to pay the full price of the goods. For one who takes them saying "I will return them when I reside again" and uses them for communal use, what is lost is well lost, what is worn out is well worn out. If it is undamaged, it should be restored to its original state. For one who uses them for personal use, what is lost or worn out is a debt. Then doors, windows, and the like, whether in a communal dwelling or a personal or attached to the rafters, they must be returned. If any Sangha monastery collapses, whatever beds, chairs, etc. are there, it is proper to move them elsewhere for safekeeping. Therefore, having moved them elsewhere, for one who uses them as Sangha property, what is lost is well lost, what is worn is well worn. If it is sound, when that monastery is repaired, it must be made normal again. For one who uses it as personal property, what is lost or worn is a debt, when it is repaired, it must be given back. This is the discourse on taking lodging. 225. Herein is the discourse on common requisites (four requisites) – By a duly appointed monk who is careful in dispensing small items, to one making robes who says, "Give me a needle," one long, one short, two needles must be given. "Is it undivided Sangha property?" There is no need to ask. To one desiring a pepper, one pepper. To one wishing to go on a journey, a pair of sandals. To one desiring a waist-band, a waist-band. To one who comes saying, "My shoulder-strap is worn out," a shoulder-strap. To one desiring a water-strainer, a water-strainer must be given. To one desiring a water-pot, a water-pot. If there is no cloth, the water-pot must be given with a cloth. To one asking, "I will put on a new bowl for a visitor," enough for a kusi and a half-kusi must be given. To one who comes saying, "There is not enough for a circle (of cloth)," one circle must be given. Two half-circles must be given. To one asking for two circles, they must not be given. To one desiring a wind-screen cloth, enough for one robe must be given. To a sick person desiring ghee, fresh butter, etc., making one medicine a nāḷi in measure, a third part of that must be given. Having given thus for three days, when the nāḷi is full, from the fourth day onwards, having asked the Sangha, it must be given. Even for a lump of jaggery, a third part must be given for one day. Thus, when the lump is finished in three days, thereafter, having asked the Sangha... Having gone, it should be given. And by those appointed and established as distributors of gruel, etc., to the people who have come to the place of distribution, half the share should be given without asking. But by those not appointed, it should be given after asking permission.